Refrigerator-car-hatch closure.



E. POSSON REFRIGERATOR GAR HATCH CLOSURE.-

APPLIUATION FILED D110. 29, 1908. 57,2520

Patented May 10, 1910.

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E. POSSON REFRIGERATOR GAR HATCH CLOSURE. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP E0. 29. 1908.

Patented May 10, 1910.

E. POSSON REFRIGERATOR GAR HATCH CLOSURE.

APPLIOATIQN FILED DEG.29 .1908. 957,252.

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Patented May 10, 1910.

EM POSSON REFRIGERATOR GAR HATCH CLOSURE.

AE'PLIOATION FILED n1:o .29, 1908. 957,252.

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EDWARD POSSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATOR-CAR HATCH CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 29, 1908.

Patented May 19 1916. Serial no. 469,746.

citizen of the United States, residing at Ohi- I cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator- Oar-Hatch Cl0sures, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a new and improved refrigerator car hatch way and closure therefor.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cover for a refrigerator car hatch way and a hatch plug attached to the cover.

Another olgject of my invention is to provide means or fastening such a cover in closed or partially opened positions, as desired.

These objects and various others will be made more apparent in the following specification and claims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a cross section of my device taken on the line 1 in Fig. 8 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the hatch cover and plug wide open. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the hatch cover and plug partially open. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively elevation and plan views of a detail element. Figs. 6 and 7 are views taken at right angles to each other of another detail element. Fig. 8 is a top .plan view partly broken away to show the mterior construction. Fig: 9 is a section taken on the line 9, 9 in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the hatch cover fully closed Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are elevations of detail elements. Fig. 14 shows a detail modification.

In the particular embodiment of my invention which I have chosen to illustrate in the drawings, the car end wall is designated by the reference numeral 15, the car roof 16 and the running board 17. The hatch open,- ing through the car roof is bounded on the outer side by a Z-bar frame made up of'two angle irons riveted together. One an le iron has one flange 18 upon the car roo whlle the other flange 19 stands up therefrom;

One flange 21 of the other angle iron is riveted to the flange 19, and. the remainmg flange 20 projects inwardly across the roof opening. The opening through the roof is bounded by planks 22, beneath which is theinside ceiling 23. The bolts 22 pass through the flange 20, the planks 22 and the ce1l1ng boards 23 and clamp these parts together by means of the nuts 24. The planks 22 are beveled on their inside faces, as indicated by the reference numeral 25, and thus the inside walls of the roof opening are made to converge downwardly.

A sheet metal cover 26 is adapted to lie upon the flanges 20 of the Z-bar frame, being secured thereto at one. the hinges 27. The-stationary members 28 of said hinges are riveted to the flange 18 of the Z-bar frame. A fixed hasp strap 29 is riveted to the cover 26, and has a slot 30 in its end. A tongue 31, with an end perforation 33, is adapted to project through the hole 30 when the cover 26 is closed. The tongue 31 consists of an iron strap bent double, with its ends 32 bent aside oppositely at right angles and riveted to the flange 18 of the Z-bar frame. A chain 34 has one end 35 attached to the edge of the cover 26, and the other end carries a hook 36, adapted to be passed through the holes 33 and be secured by the seal 37, as shown in Fig. 8.

The staple 38, beside the tongue 31, loosely engages a hole in one end of the link 39, the other end of which is adapted to project through the slot 30 in the hasp 29. Blocks 41 are secured to the sides of the link 39 by means of a rivet 42, and these blocks 41 constitute shoulders to support the hasp 29, as shown in Fig. 3. The link 39 is bent aside a little, as indicated by the reference character 39, so as to cause its end to go directly through the hole 30.

The sealing block consists of a heavy wooden frame 43 connected across above by planks 44 and below by planks 45, with heat insulating material 46 in thespace between. The edges 47 of the plug are beveled on the same angle as the inside faces 25 of the hatch opening. A large groove 47' is extended all around the plug in the faces 47 thereof. Holes 48 are bored into the plug frame members 43 from the bottom of this groove 47 In these holes 48 are laid compression springs 49. On the respective faces of the plug the slats. 50 are loosely fitted within the groove 47. Packing 51 of fibrous 0r other suitable material is laid over the slats 50, and then heavy canvas 51' or other flexible sheeting is laid over the packing 51 and its edges are secured on the top and bottom faces of the plug adjacent to the edges thereof. Spacing blocks 52 lie between the cover side by means of 26 and the plug, and bolts 53 pass down through these members and through the intermediate spacing blocks, being secured at their ends by the nuts 54. The spacing blocks 52 serve to bring the sealing plug far down in the hatch way when in closed position, thus giving a long range of sweep of the packing 51 across the inclined face 25 of the hatch way.

I preferably construct the car roof so that there will be a slight clearance space 55 between the lower flange 18 of the Z-bar frame and the underlying roof board 16, so that if the roof warps or strains, such displacements will be allowed for. The space 55 may be preferably filled with a shim. The frame members 56 are firmly secured between the roof board 16 and the ceiling 23. The planks 22 are attached to these frame members 56, and the Z-bar frame lies upon and is supported by the planks 22.

It will be seen that there is a great advantage in the convenience of having the plug attached to the cover, for in this way only one operation is necessary to open or close the hatch-way, whereas with separate cover and plug not only are more operations needed to open or close the hatch way, but there is always danger that the plugs may get lost.

When it is desired to o erate the car with the hatch closure partial y opened, so as to secure ventilation, but not enough to permit the entrance of a man through the hatch opening, these objects are accomplished by arranging the parts as shown in Fig. 3. The cover can be sealed in this intermediate position just the same as it can be sealed in closed position. It will be seen that I have rovided a simple and convenient closure or the hatch-way of a refrigerator car; that the structure is strong and durable; and that it is so arranged that the cover can be locked shut, or can be locked open enough to permit ventilation, but prevent the entrance of sneak thieves.

I claim 1. In a device of the class described, a car roof having an opening therein with downwardly converging walls, a cover adapted to overlie the opening, and a sealing plug attached to the cover but spaced slightly therefrom and ada ted to be fitted within said converging wa ls.

2. In a device of the class described, a car roof having an opening therethrough, an inside ceiling below said roof with a corresponding opening, a Z-bar frame around said opening outside of the roof with one flange thereof directed inwardly across the opening, between said flange and the ed e of the ceiling, and bolts through said ange, planks and ceiling.

3. In a device of the class described, a car planks around the opening lying roof having an opening therein, a Z-bar frame around said opening on the outside of the roof, one flange thereof being directed inwardly across the opening, planks around said opening underneath said flange, and bolts securing said planks to said flange.

4. In a device of the class described, a car roof having an opening therein, a Z-bar frame around said opening on the outside of the roof, one flange thereof being directed inwardly across the opening, planks around said opening underneath said flange, and bolts securing said planks to said flange, the inside faces of said planks being beveled so as to make the walls of the opening converge downwardly.

5. In a device of the class described, a car roof having an opening therein, a cover adapted to overlie the opening, and a sealing plug attached to the cover on its inner face and spaced slightly therefrom and adapted to be tted within the opening.

6. In a device of the class described, a car 1 roof having an o ening therein, a sheet metal cover adapte to overlie the opening, a hatch plug attached to the inner face of the sheet metal cover and adapted to fit within the opening, said hatch plug being packed with insulating material.

7 In a device of the class described, a car roof having an opening therein, a sheet metal cover adapted to overlie said opening, a plug adapted to fit within said opening, spacing blocks between the cover and the plu and bolts through the cover, spacing bloc s and plug.

8. In a device of the class described, a car roof having an opening therein, the. walls of said opening converging downwardly, a sealing plug adapted to fit within said opening, a groove in the edge faces of said plug, spring seats extending into the plug from the bottom of the groove, sprin s within said seats, slats in the grooves on t e respective edges of the plug, packing overlying the slats, anda sheet metal cover for sai opening hinged at the side thereof and having the said plug attached thereto.

9. In a device of the class described, a car roof having an opening therein, a cover adapted to overlie the edges of said opening when in closed position, a closing plug attached to the inner face of said cover and ada ted to lie within the opening, and spacing locks between the cover and the plug.

10. In a device of the class describe a car roof having an o ening therein, a sheet metal cover adapte to overlie the edges of said opening, a plug adapted to fit within said opening, spacing blocks between the cover and plug, and bolts through the cover, the spacing blocks and the plug.

11. In a device of the class described, a car roof having an opening therein, a sheet metal plate adapted to overlie said opening,

a plug attached to the under-face of the plate and adapted to fit within the opening, hinges for the plates at one side of the opening, a hasp projecting from the plate opposite to the hinges, a fixed staple project'- ing upwardly from the car roof and adapted to engage the hasp when the plate isclosed down, and a bar having one end pivotally attached to the car roof near the a staple, the other end of the bar having a hole in its end with shoulders back of the hole, said end of the bar being adapted to project through the slotted hasp when the plate is raised sufficiently to lift the plug out of the door opening.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribe my name.

EDWARD POSSON.

Witnesses: v

LILLIAN A. KIBBY, ANNA L. WALTON. 

